Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative director Guillaume Broche has revealed some of his fears about the role that AI will play in the future of games development, describing the possibilities as being “a little scary.” The usage of AI is an increasingly contentious topic among the gaming community, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33‘s lead has weighed into the discussion with his thoughts.
Game of the Year winner Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was arguably 2025’s biggest surprise package. When compared to the huge studios behind most AAA games nowadays, Sandfall Interactive’s smaller team surpassed all expectations. A hard-hitting narrative and strong JRPG mechanics ensured that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was a massive critical and commercial success.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Moments More Emotional Than ‘That’ One
Everyone knows the easy answer to the question about what Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s saddest moment is, but there are others that may be sadder.
Clair Obscur Lead Says ‘Everyone’s a Little Scared’ of AI’s Future in Games
Creative director Guillaume Broche recently appeared on Konbini’s Video Game Club over on YouTube, where he gave some of his thoughts about the use of generative AI in games development. Broche revealed that his studio isn’t using the technology for anything creative, claiming that it “takes away from the joy of creating things.” However, the possibility of what may be possible in the future isn’t something he is ignoring. “I think everyone’s a little scared, though – of the road ahead, of how things might turn out,” Broche said. “With video games, we’re still somewhat protected because, technically speaking, it’s a different ball game. But I think the day will come when we’ll be able to churn out a game in five seconds with a prompt.”
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There’s no denying that generative AI is becoming more powerful, but whether this results in a good end product is another matter altogether. Broche touches on the topic, saying, “Will it be a good game? I hope not. But I think everyone’s asking themselves the same question – and admitting it’s a little scary.”
I think everyone’s a little scared, though – of the road ahead, of how things might turn out.
Generative AI is perhaps one of the gaming industry’s most contentious topics. Some games use AI to create temporary placeholder artwork, with the full intention of replacing them with human-made assets later down the line. However, given the number of assets involved in game development, things do slip through the cracks and sometimes make their way into the final product. This actually happened to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and the assets were quickly removed from the game when noticed, but the controversy remained. There are some examples of more deliberate AI use in recent years, where it reduces the cost, coming at the cost of creativity. It’s certainly not a debate that will die down any time soon.
As for the future of the Clair Obscur franchise, Sandfall Interactive remains secretive about the future. It’s not clear whether the developer intends to keep the game as a standalone, or whether it plans to expand on the world it created in its previous title. Regardless, the success of Expedition 33 ensures that there will be hordes of gamers eagerly awaiting to see what the studio does next.
- Released
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April 24, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Sandfall Interactive
- Publisher(s)
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Kepler Interactive
